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There are only a few hours until Script Frenzy starts but instead of sitting here chomping at the bit like a lunatic, here are five useful things you can do in this time before you are allowed to start writing.

1. Pick out character names. Remember how I said not to bother naming your characters? Well that was because it’s a waste of time during the actual contest. But in the hours before the contest begins? Go for it! Pour over baby name sites and dictionaries for that really deep and symbolic name for your character. Then you’ll be all ready to go when the clock ticks midnight.
2. Outline the story (or just the first few scenes). If you haven’t already outlined your story, now is a great time to do it. Even if you have outlined, do a more detailed outline of just a single scene. Outlining is a way to start writing without really writing so it lets you start your story without cheating.
3. Do some research. Were you toying with the idea of having your character be a fisherman? Do some quick research about the profession online. Not only will this save you the time of having to do it while you are writing, it will inspire you so you’ll be in a better place to start the second the contest official starts. Also, you may find out details you never even thought of incorporating that will inform your future plot choices.
4. Tell someone about your story. Find a relative, significant other, complete stranger or whoever happens to be in earshot, tell them everything you have so far with your story. Even if you don’t have much, simply talking your story aloud is a great way to give yourself more ideas and start to work through the plot without actually writing a word. Sometimes your listener can also give you great ideas on where to go next if you are stuck.
5. Write…something else. A blog post. A really long email. A school paper. Do some writing that has nothing whatsoever to do with your script. Even if it’s unrelated (and even if it isn’t fiction) it will get the pen moving and your creative juices flowing so that you are in the right mindset when the clock actually ticks over and you can start your script.

So, how are you spending your time before Script Frenzy starts?

So, you’re thinking about writing a script in a month as part of the month long Script Frenzy (Screnzy) challenge? This sister event from the people behind NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) gives you the chance to challenge yourself to write a 100 page script in 30 days this April. I’m here to try to give you some tips to help you complete this huge goal.

While you are trying to write a 100 page script in a month, don’t forget to have fun!

I know, cheesy, right? Not so.

There is something completely ludicrous about proposing to write a script at all, let alone writing an entire script with no plan and in 30 days. Embrace that ridiculousness. It is much easier to write something light and fun in a situation like this than War and Peace, so keep that in mind. This isn’t to say that you should steer away from high drama or horror or whatever is your bliss. But make sure that you are writing something that you are enjoying writing, not something that you feel like you should be writing because its good for you or whatever.

In the end, Screnzy is not about producing the greatest script ever (though sometimes it does). It’s about proving to yourself that you can do it, that you can write a script. It doesn’t have to be a great script on the first try, that will come later in revisions. All that matters is that you set out to do this difficult task and accomplished it which is something to be totally proud of.

If a script about crime fighting monkeys is what gets you to 100 pages while your intellectual allegory about rape stalls you at 10 pages, go with the monkeys. Pulitzer will forgive you.

I’m having the night from hell over here, one of those lovely hair-on-fire work crisis situations where I am sadly pulling an all but all-niter for work. So staying up really late AND getting up early. Not excited about this at all. But if there is one thing Hillary DePiano doesn’t do its let people down so I’m going to finish it, by damn it, or at least get as much done as possible. This is one case when failure to plan on their part does constitute an emergency on my part, to paraphrase the expression. I could probably rant about this for a good hour or two but I’m not going to. I am zen. I’m not really zen, I’m ticked and tired but let’s pretend, shall we?

So instead of doing prep work for Script Frenzy or working on my editing, I’m watching Turbo Lister churn and churn on this batch of listings and there is nothing I can do until its finished and I can do the next batch. I’m writing this between load times and batches to keep myself awake. This is how sad this situation is. I guess I could be editing while I wait for Turbo Lister but my brain went to sleep a little while ago.

To top things off, my husband comes in while I’m ignoring him to work like crazy and points out that today (or rather yesterday since its past midnight) is the anniversary of when we first started going out meaning that we have been together exactly 8 years. That doesn’t sound like that long, really, since I feel like there was never a point when we weren’t together but we have known each other about 4 years more than that so it’s crazy to think about.

Anyway, he comes in to tell me this and then goes to bed. Alone. While I stay up and work. No celebrating, not even a little celebratory cuddling, just work work work all night. This is very sad. This is a romance AND life fail, one of those times when I feel like I must be doing something wrong.

This work stuff is due tomorrow night and then, Script Frenzy be damned, I’m taking him out to eat or something because this a dumb.

So anyway, my issues aside, Script Frenzy is starting at midnight tomorrow. This past NaNoWriMo, I had two relatives competing with me, my aunt and my cousin, but this one is just little ole me and the thousands of random people on the internet. Or is it? My brother may be joining me and writing a comic book but he was Captain Waffle on the phone today so we’ll see what happens with that. I hope he at least writes up an outline, it sounds like he has a really good idea.

But have I finished editing my Mistress Novel? No, not yet. In fact, I am in the dead center of the book. I don’t want to stop and then take forever to get the thread of the story again so I’m going to just have to edit it while I write my script. These things happen.

The bigger problem? I put a *ton* of big stuff off in March to give myself more time for editing so April already is extra filled. But they say that the busier you are, the more you get done so I’m going to just roll with it!

So what am I writing for Screnzy? How’s about I write that up while Turbo Lister churns away tomorrow, eh?